Driver Education
News & Announcements
2022 Driver Education Standards of Learning
On March 17, 2022, the Virginia Board of Education approved and adopted the proposed revisions to the 2015 Driver Education Standards of Learning. The 2022 Driver Education Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools have been refined through feedback from parents, teachers, administrators, and representatives from higher education and define the skills and competencies necessary to become a proficient user of the highway transportation system. They focus on core concepts and procedures, set clear, concise, and measurable expectations for novice drivers, and provide the framework for the Curriculum Guide for Driver Education in Virginia.
Questions about the newly adopted standards should be directed to robin.shepherd@doe.virginia.gov.
Introduction
VDOE is responsible for approving driver education programs in the commonwealth’s public and private schools. Driver education programs in Virginia schools focus on safe driving attitudes, skill development and appropriate responses to hazards. The commonwealth’s standards for driver education require extended supervised practice with a licensed parent or guardian to develop precision in the application of skills and processes to effectively manage risks.
Standards of Learning
Although there is no applicable SOL test associated with driver education instruction, the Driver Education Standards of Learning serve as the Board of Education’s approved driver-education and traffic-safety program of instruction for public and private school programs and are intended to provide students with a detailed understanding of the fundamentals of driving.
2022 Driver Education Standards of Learning
Teachers will begin implementing the 2022 standards during the 2022-2023 school year. School divisions will:
- begin using the 2022-2023 driver education curricula with the 2022 standards; and
- provide professional development for teachers as appropriate.
| Course | Standards of Learning | Curriculum Framework |
|---|---|---|
| All Driver Education | Word | NA |
2015 Driver Education Standards of Learning
| Course | Standards of Learning | Curriculum Framework |
|---|---|---|
| All Driver Education | Word / PDF | NA |
Resources
- As required by §22.1-205 of the Code of Virginia, the Virginia Board of Education has established a standardized program of driver education for public, private, and commercial schools. The Driver Education Standards of Learning for Driver Education in Virginia prescribe the content and administrative requirements of a state-approved driver education program.
The Curriculum and Administrative Guide for Driver Education is broken down into modules for downloading purposes. The files are relatively large. Please be patient as the files download.
- Curriculum and Administrative Guide for Driver Education in Virginia
- Module 13 - Curriculum Guide for Behind-the-Wheel In Car Instruction
- Module 13a - In Car Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
- Home-Schooled In-Car Driver Education Information Sheet (PDF)
- In-Car Maneuvers Observation Record (PDF)
- Home-Schooled Re-Examination Requirements Information Sheet (PDF)
- Certificate of Enrollment Form (PDF)
- 45 Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide (PDF)
- Juvenile Licensing Process (Word)
- Parent/Guardian Form Granting the School Permission to Issue Their Child a 180-Day Provisional Driver's License (PDF)
- Road Skills Evaluation (PDF)
- Certification of In-Car Instruction (PDF)
- Partners for Safe Teen Driving: 90-Minute Parent/Guardian and Student Presentations
- Parent Opt-Out Form for the 90-Minute Parent/Teen Meeting (PDF)
- Standardized High School Parking Pass Application (PDF) - As required by § 22.1-205.1 of the Code of Virginia, any public high school student who applies to park a vehicle on school property must provide evidence that the student possesses a valid driver’s license or driver privilege card. It also requires that each public school utilize a standard application form, developed by the Virginia Department of Education, for students to use to obtain a pass to park a vehicle on school property.
Application Process for Driver Education Correspondence Courses
This curriculum review process places primary responsibility on the correspondence course providers to ensure the accuracy of their course. Providers must certify that the course submitted for approval has been thoroughly examined and reviewed by qualified content experts for factual accuracy and must list all authors/editors and their credentials. Providers must list the professional credentials for at least two content review experts who have thoroughly examined the course for content accuracy. Providers must certify that the course has been thoroughly examined and reviewed by qualified editors for typographical errors and errors in grammar, written expression, spelling, formatting and other substantive elements that may affect student learning.
Incomplete applications will not be considered, and the course must be aligned with Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). Submit applications to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Driver Education Program Staff, 101 N. 14th Street, Richmond, VA 23219. The VDOE will provide the correspondence course applicant with a written decision regarding the approval or denial of the application within 45 business days of receipt of the completed application. The VDOE will provide the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles with the names of any programs that have been approved as a correspondence course for home-school students.
The application consists of the following components.
- Application Attachment I: Affidavit (Word) – This form must be printed, signed, scanned and emailed as a PDF.
- Application Part II: Program Profile (Word) – This form must be completed and returned as an email attachment.
- Application Part III: Program Requirements (Word) – This form must be completed and returned as an email attachment along with the requested documents in PDF.
- Application Part IV: Program Description (Word) – This form must be completed and returned as an email attachment.
- Application Part V: Correlation with Virginia’s Standards of Learning for Driver Education (Word) – Applicable forms should be completed and returned as email attachments.
- Application Part VI: District 8 90-minute Parent/Teen Component (Word) – Applicable forms should be completed and returned as email attachments.
School Crash Statistics
Annual reports on the number of reportable crashes experienced by graduates of Virginia driver-education programs within 12 months of receiving a driver’s license:
- 2015-16 Crash Statistics (XLS)
- 2014-15 Crash Statistics (PDF)
- 2013-14 Crash Statistics (PDF)
- 2012-13 Crash Statistics (PDF)
- 2011-12 Crash Statistics (PDF)
Outside Resources
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)